A Happy Boy eBook

DEAR PARENTS,—­We
have to study much more now than at first, but
as I am less behind the others than I was, it is not
so hard. I shall change many things in father’s
place when I come home; for there is much that is
wrong there, and it is wonderful that it has prospered
as well as it has. But I shall make everything
right, for I have learned a great deal. I want
to go to some place where I can put into practice
all I now know, and so I must look for a high position
when I get through here.
No one here considers
Jon Hatlen as clever as he is thought to be
at home with us; but as he has a gard of his own,
this does not concern any one but himself.
Many who go from here
get very high salaries, but they are paid so
well because ours is the best agricultural school
in the country. Some say the one in the next
district is better, but this is by no means true.
There are two words here: one is called Theory,
the other Practice. It is well to have them
both, for one is nothing without the other; but still
the latter is the better. Now the former means,
to understand the cause and principle of a work; the
latter, to be able to perform it: as, for instance,
in regard to a quagmire; for there are many who know
what should be done with a quagmire and yet do it wrong,
because they are not able to put their knowledge into
practice. Many, on the other hand, are skillful
in doing, but do not know what ought to be done; and
thus they too may make bad work of it, for there are
many kinds of quagmires. But we at the agricultural
school learn both words. The superintendent
is so skillful that he has no equal. At the
last agricultural meeting for the whole country, he
led in two discussions, and the other superintendents
had only one each, and upon careful consideration
his statements were always sustained. At the
meeting before the last, where he was not present,
there was nothing but idle talk. The lieutenant
who teaches surveying was chosen by the superintendent
only on account of his ability, for the other schools
have no lieutenant. He is so clever that he was
the best scholar at the military academy.
The school-master asks
if I go to church. Yes, of course I go to
church, for now the priest has an assistant, and his
sermons fill all the congregation with terror, and
it is a pleasure to listen to him. He belongs
to the new religion they have in Christiania, and people
think him too strict, but it is good for them that
he is so.
Just now we are studying
much history, which we have not done
before, and it is curious to observe all that has
happened in the world, but especially in our country,
for we have always won, except when we have lost,
and then we always had the smaller number. We
now have liberty; and no other nation has so much
of it as we, except America; but there they are not
happy. Our freedom should be loved by us above
everything.
Now I will close for
this time, for I have written a very long
letter. The school-master will read it, I suppose,
and when he answers for you, get him to tell me some
news about one thing or another, for he never does
so of himself. But now accept hearty greetings
from your affectionate son,
O.
THORESEN.